[World Taekwondo] THF Hope and Dreams Sports Festival concludes with spectac..

AMMAN, Jordan (May 3, 2024) - An inspiring evening in Jordan’s capital Amman featuring competition in Taekwondo, Baseball5 and Badminton brought a fitting end to the 2^nd Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) Hope and Dreams Sports Festival.

There were high levels of youth participation across the three-day event, and it was hugely successful in empowering refugees and displaced people through sport. Today’s Hope and Dreams Taekwondo Championships featured more than 300 participants in Taekwondo, while around 250 Baseball5 players competed, and Badminton was part of the programme for the first time.

World Taekwondo President and THF Chairman Dr. Chungwon Choue was in attendance, joined by Jordan Taekwondo Federation (JTF) President HRH Prince Rashid bin El Hassan, HRH Princess Zeina Rashid, JTF Vice President Hazem Naimat, WT Council members Maher Magableh, Ahmed Alzeyoudi, Shaddad Al Amri and THF Board members HH Prince Fahad Bin Jalawi Al Saud and Richard Barnor. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari, Badminton World Federation (BWF) Vice-President Jassem Kanso and Korean Ambassador in Jordan, Mr. Dong-gi Kim were also among the guests at the Festival.

They witnessed a powerful Opening Ceremony on the day of competition as part of the THF Hope and Dreams Sports Festival.

Dr Chungwon Choue said: “Today, we saw the passion and determination of the children and youths who fought hard for every point. You, the athletes, have shown us how valuable every point means to you. You have taught us how valuable every moment in life means to us. Thank you for showing us this meaningful part of life.”

The Hope and Dreams Taekwondo Championships today welcomed 187 athletes from the Azraq Refugee Camp and 114 from the Za’atari Refugee Camp. They competed in events across 48 different categories, ensuring an inclusive Championships in which young athletes of all ages could experience the Festival. Several of the participants may also be invited to compete at the 2025 World Taekwondo Cadet Championships in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

There were approximately 250 athletes who competed in Baseball5 at the Festival, with tournaments being staged in the Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 categories. This included participants from the Azraq Refugee Camp and the Souf Camp, as well as the Jordanian villages of Balila, Maqbeleh and Summa.

The inclusion of Badminton in the THF Hope and Dreams Sports Festival for the first time provided an inclusive session for young participants. It saw the participation of 10 athletes from the Azraq Refugee Camp and 10 from the Jordan Badminton Federation’s Youth Talent Programme.

Basketball activities were also included across the three days of the Festival.

World Taekwondo Council member Maher Magableh commented: "We had over 600 refugee children from the Azraq Camp, Za’atari Camp and Souf Camp participating in four different sports. We doubled the number of sports, and it was a much bigger Festival than last year. It was special because for some of the children it was their first time leaving the Refugee Camp. They were so happy, and seeing the progress made feels a very emotional occasion.”

Today’s activities also included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the THF and Korea Refugee Project (KRP). The KRP is a non-governmental organisation that has managed Taekwondo programmes at the Za’atari Refugee Camp for several years, and the MoU will enable both parties to work closely on further developing these initiatives.

The Hope and Dreams Sports Festival was organised by the THF and World Taekwondo in collaboration with the WBSC, BWF and FIBA Foundation. The THF aims to work with an increasing number of International Federations to use sport to promote health and well-being among refugees and displaced people.

Dr Chungwon Choue additionally expressed his gratitude to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for the staging of the event.

“This is a country that puts sports at the heart of the nation. This is also a country that offers hope and dreams to tens of thousands of refugees and displaced persons,” he said.